Page 71 of The Beach Shack Artists 3
“They’re not random,” Meg said firmly. “They’re careful observations of people and place. They show love and attention and understanding.”
“Plus,” Joey added, “if we all submit, we’ll be like a dynasty. The Walsh Dynasty. Bernie will lose his mind with the betting possibilities.”
“The Walsh Dynasty,” Anna repeated, grinning.
Stella looked around the table at her ridiculous, chaotic, loving family, all looking at her with encouragement.
“What if I lose spectacularly?” she asked.
“Then we all lose spectacularly together,” Bea said cheerfully.
“What if I win?” Stella asked, though she couldn’t believe she was considering this.
“Then we celebrate that too,” Margo said. “But honestly, entering is the brave part. Everything after that is just details.”
Stella took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but... okay. I’ll print some of the photos and submit them.”
The cheer that went up was immediate and heartfelt.
“And I’ll cook,” Meg said suddenly. “For the awards ceremony. I can’t submit food to an art festival, but I can make sure we all have a good meal before we go face the judges.” She paused, grinning. “Maybe I’ll even make gravy. And serve it with a spatula.”
The three siblings burst into laughter.
“Perfect,” Anna said, raising her wine glass. “To the Walsh Dynasty.”
“To shared courage,” Tyler added.
“To family art,” Bea said.
“To whatever happens next,” Stella said, surprising herself with how steady she sounded.
They clinked glasses, and for the first time in years, Stella felt like they were all moving in the same direction.
Margo was quiet for a moment, then looked around the table. “Can I ask you something? Do you actually want the Beach Shack to be part of your lives? Not helping me run it temporarily, but choosing it as part of your future?”
The table went quiet.
“Rick’s been pressing me about estate planning,” she continued. “But before I make any legal decisions, I need to know—is this something you’d choose?”
Tyler, Anna, and Meg exchanged glances.
“We’ve talked about this,” Meg said slowly. “After the health inspection disaster.”
“We figured out we can’t do it separately,” Tyler added. “But maybe we could do it together. With actual coordination this time.”
Anna looked thoughtful. “Wait. Have you been... testing us? The stepping back, letting us handle crises...”
Meg laughed. “Oh my gosh. You totally have been. That’s why you didn’t step in during the Florence Method chaos.”
“And why you let Anna turn the place into an art studio,” Bea added, grinning.
Margo winked at Stella. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Margo!” Tyler laughed. “You’ve been running experiments on us!”
“Scientific observation,” Margo said with dignity. “There’s a difference.”
“Did we pass?” Anna asked.
